After visiting the tidal basin to enjoy the cherry blossoms, we walked to the Wharf area and stopped by Willowsong for some local cuisine. Really enjoyed the local bass which had a crispy skin and was cooked at the perfect amount of tender. The cocktails were good and our server was friendly. The black squid ink pasta was good. The sweet potato pie was okay, potentially lackluster compared to the rest of the food. Loved the indoor / outdoor seating especially on a day that had beautiful weather. read more

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It was a beautiful day on the wharf, and my cousin and I were hungry. I checked Yelp to see if they were any ongoing happy hours, and this place crossed my radar. I had never been before, and he was seemed curious to try, so we stopped by. They have outdoor seating, but there was no service at the time, which was too bad because the weather was outstanding. The host is said we could take drinks out there, but not food. So we just opted for the bar. Thankfully, they eventually opened one of the doors real wide so the outdoor air was coming in and that was nice. Happy hour was going until 6:30, and I have to admit that some of these happy hour prices are regular prices at other places XD, but remember it's the wharf. And there was a time when happy hour there wasn't even a thing. So I got a glass of wine and yellowtail tacos with salad. I wasn't expecting the yellowtail to be fried, but it was fine. The salad was way bigger than I thought it would be. It was good. My cousin got the burger and fries... I tasted it and I think I enjoyed the burger more, haha. That smoked cheddar, whew! I found the fries to be pretty average. The ambiance of the place is very nice and I could see myself returning. Some other people at the bar got some amazing looking dishes too, but I know they were expensive XD. read more

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Somewhat dissapointing experience at Willowsong inside the Intercontinental by the Wharf. First the service was meh. ...the server in the morning was not friendly at all. Then he forgot an item and charged me for it, and took really long time for everything and of course he never checked on us once. I understand that he was probably juggling many tables...then they need to hire more people. What makes it worse is that this manager guy in suits is just walking around doing nothing. If the server is clearly falling behind, the manager should step in and check on customers. He absolutely did nothing....when we were clearly finished with our meals for a while, just waiting to get a check. The food itself was not bad...but nothing special....especially after waiting 30min to get a table with super slow service. I had a high hope but turned out to be just okay. read more

I went here for a restaurant week with one of my friends for dinner and we had an amazing time. I can always appreciate a place that has a really good ambience. I.e. there was not a lot of people, there is mood lighting during the dinner service, and the service itself doesn't feel rushed. We were promptly seated by the hostess when we arrived, and our waiter came to our table. We opted for bottled still water. For the appetizers, we got the caramelized onion duct tart and the grilled lamb chops. Both were really delicious, but the lamb chops stole the show as they were cooked perfectly. We also ordered the milk bread as she and I had never tried that before and it came out piping hot. They were soft and paired so well with the salmon roe butter. For our main courses, we got the grilled bone in short rib and the Lamb Merguez Rigatoni. I personally preferred the short rib which came with golden beet puree, roasted tomato, Fresno, Leek ash, and a chili beurre fondue. The short rib was fall off the bone tender, impaired so well with all of the accoutrement on the plate. I could eat this every day for dinner it was just that good. The Lamb Merguez Rigatoni was made with Charred rapini, lemon confit, and cream. It tasted really good, but it did not allow me like the short rib did as it reminded me of just your regular pasta with a protein, and a cream sauce. Nothing special, but well executed. For dessert, we got the Pistachio and Honey Cheesecake and the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake made with rum anglaise, pineapple crisp, luxardo cherry, and crème fraiche. Both of these were amazing. Both were not too sweet, very well balanced, and just an overall wonderful way to end the meal. We opted to do mocktails for dry January and both the rose petal and little suns were delightful. I will definitely be back here again as the service was amazing, the food that we had for restaurant week was amazing so I'm excited to try their regular menu items. read more

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A very nice spot on The Wharf to grab dinner. There are alot of places to eat on The Wharf and not all of them are created equal in terms of price versus quality, and Willowsong definitely stands out among them. The service was above and beyond. My cocktail was expertly prepared. So good I didn't want to finish it. The meatball appetizer was just ok. The bread that came with them lacked a strong flavor. However, my steak was incredible! A great blend of flavors, sauces and textures. For the price, the best steak I've had on The Wharf. It was a little noisy but that's almost every restaurant in the area. A pretty good vibe for a casual dinner out. read more

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Great location on the main walkway at the Wharf. Inside the IHG hotel. Small menu with good variety. Great tastes. Chef sources fresh local ingredients and creative dishes. Host and service was mediocre at 2 different meals. But strong recommendation 4.5+ for food and location. read more

Willowsong - Corn Meal Pancakes - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Willowsong was an amazing experience and a huge part of that was because of Yendi at the host stand. From the moment we walked in she greeted us with such a warm and genuine smile and immediately made us feel welcome. Even though the restaurant was clearly busy, she stayed calm, organized, and incredibly attentive. She checked in on us, kept us updated on our table, and made sure everything flowed smoothly. You can tell she really cares about guests having a great experience and that kind of hospitality makes a big difference. The hamachi tartare was one of the highlights of the night. It was incredibly fresh, beautifully plated, and perfectly balanced. Definitely a dish I would come back for. I also want to recognize Alex, the manager, who was clearly making sure everything in the restaurant was running smoothly. It is always noticeable when management is present and supporting the team, and the service throughout the restaurant reflected that. Great food, great atmosphere, and genuinely great hospitality. Yendi and Alex made the night feel special and we will absolutely be coming back whenever we are in the area! read more

Willowsong - Hamachi Tartare - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We were warmly greeted by Phelton. Such a nice person! Service was excellent by Selburn. He made great recommendations from the menu and provided superb service. The last two times we visited, Fernando was our server. He is very personable and professional. The avocado toast was pretty good. The cornmeal pancakes were sweet, earthy, and nutty. Topped with Carmel apple, pecan, and salted butter. If you have a sweet tooth and like pancakes, this is for you. I loved the fritatta. Very light with roasted potatoes. The yellowtail tacos were on point and delicious. Griled tortilla with perfectly crispy yellowtail fish (seasoned well), an aioli sauce, and shredded red cabbage for a clean tasting crunch. All ingredients (vegetables and fish were fresh) and executed very well. I love the farm to table concept. Melissa at the bar was super friendly and provided excellent service. Their happy hour is Monday - Friday 4:00pm to 6:30pm. Saturday - Sunday 3:00pm to 6:30pm I will definitely be back for happy hour. The ambiance was elegantly casual. read more

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I took my mother here for her birthday, and it was honestly a good choice. Reason being the staff went above and beyond to make the night special service was really attentive, warm, and spot on. It's located on the ground floor of the Intercontinental in D.C and the space feels upscale. My mom had the duck puttanesca, and I ordered the squid ink orecchiette both were amazing, the squid ink pasta was a 10/10. Some of the best pasta I've had in a while, loaded with crab (which I definitely miss living in Richmond lol). Our waiter surprised us with two glasses of champagne and their sweet potato pie for her birthday, which was really nice. Even though my mom's not big on desserts, she loved it. Overall, it was a great experience and she had a great time definitely recommend if you're looking for excellent food, beautiful atmosphere, and top-notch service. read more

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Willowsong is located on the ground floor of the InterContinental in DC. Disclaimer: I booked the hotel using the Chase "The Edit" benefits and had $100 to spend at the restaurant. This was enough to cover two entrées and an appetizer. We started with the hamachi tartare, which was amazing. The fish tasted fresh, and it was paired with homemade chips that added a nice crunch. I loved the creamy texture of the tartare itself. The sea bass was good but not our favorite. It leaned on the bland side, and since I'm not a fan of black-eyed peas, that probably played a part in my opinion. The standout dish was the squid ink pasta with crab, which was a 10 out of 10. If you come here, you have to order it. There were huge pieces of lump crab throughout, and the buttery breadcrumbs on top were delicious. The restaurant itself is beautiful. It wasn't crowded when we went for dinner around 8:30 PM on a Thursday, so the service was impeccable. I can't speak for how it might be on a busier night, but our experience was excellent. read more

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Dined here as part of a party of 10 celebrating friends. We did not pay for the meal, and I suspect it was expensive. Wonderful atmosphere and terrific location. The Wharf is so great, and Willowsong is smack dab in the middle. Parking can be tricky and/or expensive; we parked in the large, convenient public parking garage for $50 which seems expensive, the alternative is to find street parking (good luck) and then walk. Tough on a beautiful Sunday evening with perfect warm weather. Food menu is very good, lots of tasty choices. I got brussels sprouts in a slightly spicy preparation with parmesan cheese, delicious, crunchy, healthy. For entree I had sea bass on a bed of corn/succotash, also very good. I'd rank the brussels sprouts very high compared to other restaurants, and I'd rank the fish as good but not amazing. Service was very good, but some of the wait staff (particularly our server who took the orders) seem not very knowledgeable, and he wound up messing up our order. All servers were friendly and efficient. The chef himself came out to check on us and was disappointed that the server had messed up the order; my fish came back out pretty quickly with the special request we had made (no shellfish). I very much appreciated the chef going out of his way to accommodate a dietary restriction. Good wine and cocktail selection. Ratings: Location 5, atmosphere 5, service 4, food 4, value 3, for an overall score of 4. We really enjoyed our experience, largely because of the wonderful celebration and friends. Not sure I would return if I'm picking up the tab. Restaurants at the Wharf are all over-priced, so it's not great for value even though it's wonderful to walk around, read more

In the early days of D.C.'s restaurant scene, top places were inside hotels and inns. Decades later, that faded. Restaurants inside hotels seemed to be an afterthought. Not anymore and Willowsong proves it. Located inside the Intercontinental at the Wharf, Willowsong is creating some noteworthy American dishes. Here's my experience dining in for lunch. 1) Food: The menu is diverse and the dishes uses majority ingredients from local farms and producers. To fill me up for lunch, I ordered the nectarine salad, meatballs, and famous milk buns. Each dish was full of flavor and original. The buns come with honey butter. The meatballs were full of flavor and comes with two slices of perfectly toasted bread. For dessert, the butter cake was recommended to me and wow. It's delicious- rich, and the texture is great. 2) Drink: Even though I dined for lunch, their sangria stood out. It was balanced, refreshing, and comes with mango puree mixed in making it unique. I'd order two more if it wasn't lunch! 3) Service: My server was Jackie and she was excellent. She was professional yet friendly, knew the menu inside and out, and paced everything well with the kitchen. 4) Space: Its design blends into the hotel. It's elegant yet simple. With large windows, the restaurant lets a lot of light in. 5) Area: It's at the Wharf along the water with views of the Washington Monument peeking through the tall buildings. There are plenty of other restaurants and shops and a long path to enjoy. Don't miss out on the country's oldest continously-operating fish markets at the north end. read more

I have been dreaming of this ever since we had it at DC! I love Willowsongs ambience and vibe. It is perfect for date night. The milky bread is so good. I highly recommend it! Their entrees were so delicious. It is also near the river walk so you can go for a stroll after. The service was also incredible and seating was fairly fast. I also love it when they give postcards out when they come with the check. It was a great dinner read more

Willowsong - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here for lunch with one of my best friends about a month ago and had such a great experience. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather along with the beautiful contemporary decor. Willowsong is a gorgeous refresh of the space that used to be the beloved Kith and Kin inside the Intercontinental Hotel. I had an old fashioned to start and the meatloaf sandwich, which was amazing. The herb aioli and tomato jam combo was SO good. Probably one of the best sandwiches I had in a while! We finished off with the salted caramel tart for dessert, which was perfect. Our server was friendly, attentive, and really added to our overall experience. I would love to come back here again for dinner or lunch again! read more

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Clean bright restaurant with great service. I can't wait to come back and try other items! Milk Bread: 10/10. Pillowy soft bread, what more could you ask for? Baby Gem Caesar Salad: 8/10. Could use more pepper and lemon but overall refreshing. Cresto Di Gallo: 10/10. Very filling! I could have split it with someone. The oxtail was delicious and the pasta was perfectly al dente. read more

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This is a new place open in the old moon rabbit location. The food was fantastic and we were all very happy with the service and with our food. We were a bit table and they had our table ready quickly. It was a beautiful day so they had the doors open. I shared the steak with a friend, which was so good and done exactly like we wanted. My other friends got many other dishes, including the veggie lasagana, nectarine salad, milk bread and other pasta dishes. They even gave us a free nectarine salad. I would definitely come back here again! read more

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It was my first time at the Wharf and I stumbled upon Willowsong. I tried the happy hour at the bar. Very friendly bartenders and nice ambiance. I had the Margarita cocktail and calamari and shrimp appetizer. The Rita had a delicious house mix. Calamari was tender and seasoned beautifully. read more

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Based on happy hour service really enjoyed the margs and food! The burger was pretty large and the hamachi tartare was good though not standout! I'd saying the serving size matched the price! Service was really fast and attentive and the setting was very luxurious upscale vibes. Good for dates or business meetings! read more

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The interior is beautiful! Designed with contemporary elements. Spacious bar and cozy setting. Seating next to window facing the waterway was very nice. We had breakfast here for three days and really liked the food. It was delicious and fresh. I loved avocado toast and waffle with berry. Service was great. Staff and even the manager greeted and checked on us. Thanks guys for making our vacation memorable. read more

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Had a nice business dinner last night good food and service. We had the private dining room which was an added touch. Definitely would go back. read more

Willowsong - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Beautiful location overlooking the water at The Wharf. Willowsong offers craft cocktails, an evolving menu of locally sourced ingredients, and great selection of salads, appetizers, and entrees. Service was good and this was a great meet-up spot for a business lunch during the week. read more

I wouldn't have stopped in had it not been for the drink vouchers I received for my hotel booking. The space is beautiful though, and the vouchers were very easy to use. Pricey, but nice space along the wharf. read more

Welcome to The Wharf, Willowsong! Offering a mid-Atlantic fare, they offer breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and even HH. I knew I wanted to try their housemade pastas, but I also know that I'd like to return for their breakfast offerings, specifically for that cinnamon buns with miso cream cheese frosting! We tried: +the Milk Bread, served with brown honey miso butter and salmon roe +the Crispy Prawn & Calamari +Red Wine Dry-Aged Striploin +Cresto di Gallo - with crispy oxtail +the Duck Tinga Tagliatelle +and, the Squid Ink Orecchiette - topped with crab Don't sleep on their cocktails, as their selection is tasty; they are also able to customize drinks for you! Making reservations online was a breeze! Staff were friendly, and the place was beautiful, with its mural and plants; it's located inside the InterContinental. Metered and garage parking are available, read more

The wharf has been needing this restaurant! All of the food is really good and priced well, in fact, this was one of the best meals I've had in some time. The restaurant has a great atmosphere and the staff is attentive and polite. The manager was out on the floor helping the staff and talking to tables and it was a really nice experience. I look forward to returning! read more

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This was an amazing meal! The food was very rich - we split the roasted sweet potato, tagliatelle and strip loin entree. Loved how the flavors complimented each other, and we were happy we split otherwise we might not have finished our plates. They brought out a complimentary desert for my birthday - salted caramel tart. Yum! Not overly sweet, definitely a crowd pleaser. It was a nice and calm atmosphere when we sat down at 5pm, and people seemed to trickle in for both dinner and enjoying drinks at the bar. The service was great and we didn't need to ask for anything. A lovely experience! read more

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Incredible and satisfying meal. Milk Bread is a must do. It came out warm and the miso honey butter is absolutely heaven. The Calamari and Shrimp app was classically prepared and nicely seasoned. It's shrimp were big and plump. The Pork Shank! Omg the pork shank.... It fell off the bone. The combination of flavors of the gravy, the corn pudding with the cherries reminded me of Thanksgiving. It is also a must do. The oxtail pasta was perfect and a big portion. Brussel sprouts had so much flavor. Service was attentive and upscale, but not stuffy. The sunset on the wharf was so beautiful and made for such a romantic dinner. read more

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A little-known secret is that the best pasta at the Wharf is not at Officina or Lupo Marino. It's here. read more

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The food was delicious, and they made sure it was a special experience for my family member celebrating a birthday. Location on the Wharf is fantastic. And they had live music when I was there, which really added to the ambience. Jackie was excellent during our visit. Would definitely consider returning and would recommend this 100% to my friends/family. read more

Willowsong - Yummy 'birthday' cheesecake - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I was walking by after a long walk on a beautiful day and saw the restaurant had a popup on the water with seafood ready to be shucked. I decided to indulge with half a dozen oysters and a glass of wine. The view and ambiance were 10/10, the oyster experience though was very...bad. First grievance is I wasn't provided napkins, rather the oysters were dropped off quickly at my table with nothing else. I'm eating with my hands and it's outside, so a hand wipe and napkin felt like a necessary. Second grievance were the sauces provided--cocktail sauce that was very ketchup heavy, honey mustard, and a sweet hot sauce. No standard mignonette, which was disappointing. The sauces didn't taste good and really put a damper on the experience as the oysters really lacked flavor. My third grievance is the amount of shell served in each oyster, like large pieces of shell in every oyster, causing me to slurp with extreme caution. I have never experienced this before. It was really gross. The wine and raccoon that was found on a boat below me saved the day. read more

Beautiful place. But Dinner menu was beyond boochie for my taste. Small menu. I ordered the chicken. The sweet potato mash was good so was the mushrooms but the broccoli rabe was undercooked and hard. And I wished I would had asked whole chicken or just breast. Because I don't like dark meat. Chicken was dry but the sweet potatoes helped. $38 and I wasn't impressed. The margarita was probably the worse Margarita I have ever had. Way too strong. And weird taste to it. Maybe better menu for us not so rich stuck up peeps. No free bread. Nada. Appetizer were minimal. read more

Willowsong - Chicken with sweet potato boochie mash - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I never leave reviews, but the service we experienced was unacceptable. We were hoping for breakfast. The restaurant was not that busy. But staff walked back and forth seeing our family and 3 others waiting to be seated, which took 20 minutes. When we were seated we told the host we had a short timeframe since we had timed plans within the hour. We waited another 15 minutes until a server came over who we also told we had a short window. After another 10 minutes, and after talking to the dining room manager, who finally decided he would take the order himself, we left, having never ordered a thing. I appreciate that restaurants are understaffed these days. But when you see a half empty restaurant and can't even get coffee to the table in over a half hour, you are doing something wrong. read more

The food is excellent the service is great the hostess at the front the servers are excellent and they have music on the weekends read more

Willowsong - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

EXCELLENT HOTEL, & WILLOWSONG MENU & FOOD! What a fantastic upscale restaurant and perfect spot for 'people watching' as folks are walking the wharf while you are enjoying a delicious first class dinner!! First time at this hotel & restaurant and could not have been more pleased with service and delicious food!! So many choices! Recommend my granddaughter's fave: braised pork shank ...delicious & tender! Also I loved the veggie lasagna and roasted sweet potatoes or the Brussel sprouts as a side...yum yum yum! My hubby dove into the crispy prawn & calamari on a Friday/Lent dinner! We all enjoyed the fabulous hot milk rolls...could have eaten those for a meal along w/the sweet butter! We shared a few pasta dishes & caesar salad too & everything was excellent! Service was outstanding & the executive chef came around to our table and others to ensure everything was great & it was that! Wonderful & memorable DC experience for us! Thank you, Chef Williams & staff! read more

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Food, service, & ambiance are all top-notch. We had an amazing meal. Parking at the wharf is a beast, but this place is more than worth the hassle. read more

I rarely rate a restaurant so low. But i really did not enjoy my appetizer (fried calamari) or the duck pasta. I tried my wife's veggie lasagna and was not impressed. For the record, she thought the lasagna was fine. read more

Made a later reservation for Sunday of their opening weekend for a post-anthem dinner. Our server was very attentive and timed everything perfectly. The milk bread and the Cresto di Gallo pasta are absolute must orders. Favorite cocktails were the 5th Tally and the Espresso Martini. Will definitely be returning! read more

Service was great. The dinner menu was creative, unique & delicious. We will be back!

Delicious food and drinks, we loved the service from Steve and Rohat who were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the menu.

Nah on first visit. I'll give it another shot but not crazy about the menu. Pasta was a salt bomb and wine is 5x. The hotel must have a restaurant but so far not this one. read more

Came in here because it was convenient but not expecting much however we were pleasantly surprised. the staff were friendly and extremely helpful (especially Sipan), the atmosphere was nice, but most of all the food was amazing.The steak was extremely tender and one of the best I have had in a while, and the bread was also amazing. 10/10 would recommend. Also another shoutout to Sipan who was our server. phenomenal guy with great recommendations. read more